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Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Advanced Experimental Methods for Low-temperature Magnetotransport Measurement of Novel Materials
Published on: January 21, 2016
Enhanced electric control of magnetic anisotropy via high thermal resistance capping layers in magnetic tunnel
Ryota Okuno1, Yuma Yamada1, Minori Goto1,2
1Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
Abstract:
We studied nonlinear magnetic anisotropy changes to the DC bias voltage of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with capping layers of different thermal resistances. We found that increasing the thickness of MgO capping layers (in the range 0.3-0.5 nm) in MTJs enhances the Joule heating-induced magnetic anisotropy change, which indicates an enhancement of the interfacial thermal resistance at the FeB|MgO capping layer interface. This enhanced interfacial thermal resistance may be attributed to roughness at the FeB|MgO interface. Moreover, we observed a larger power-driven magnetic anisotropy change of 3.21µJ W-1m-1in the MTJ with a composite MgO (0.3 nm)|W (2 nm)|MgO (0.4 nm) capping layer. This research supports methods of efficient spin manipulation of spintronic devices such as microwave devices and magnetic memories.
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